This invention relates generally to a fingertip actuated ventless pump sprayer of simple design having a reduced number of parts adapted for spraying small amounts of liquid product such as samples and/or concentrates of, for example, perfumes and colognes from a container formed as an integral part of a tubular member to which a reciprocable plunger head is mounted.
More particularly, the plunger head extends from one open end of the tubular member, a filling plug closing the opposite open end of the tubular member, and the dip tube, pump cylinder, and a hollow tube defining an inlet passage all being integral with the tubular member. And, the miniature pump sprayer has a frangible shipper seal which is punctured upon initial actuation of the plunger head by a depending probe on the head permitting unwanted air to be dumped from the pump chamber into the container to aid in priming.
The present invention is an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,089 disclosing a miniature pump sprayer having a pump cylinder and integral dip tube mounted as a unit within the upper open end of a vial comprising a container of liquid product to be dispensed. The plunger skirt engages a flange on the cylinder and has a coaxial rod which plugs into a hollow tube forming the inlet for valving the inlet closed during each pressure stroke of the plunger.
The vial to which the pump cylinder is attached must be filled prior to assembly which complicates the production and assembly operation, and the separate cylinder and vial parts increases the cost of assembly and production while detracting from the overall streamlined appearance of the package.
Moreover, during shipping and storage this prior art pump sprayer could leak product out of the discharge orifice if the plunger head were inadvertently bumped or nudged causing plunger depression.
Still further, the prior art miniature pump sprayer expels unwanted air from the pump chamber through the discharge orifice upon initial pump actuation for priming the chamber with product during each suction stroke. This oftentimes requires more plunger strokes than desirable to effect priming.